


in the dead of night

by HogwartsToAlexandria



Series: Marie's HP shorts 2020 [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Lives, Angst, BAMF Minerva McGonagall, Caretaking, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Battle of Hogwarts, Revelations, Severus Snape Needs a Hug, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:28:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24095104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/pseuds/HogwartsToAlexandria
Summary: A night in the troubled times before the final battle is due to go down; a mere few months after Minerva's been treated to Severus' truth and decided to help him along, as best she could, and left her heart in his hands.
Relationships: Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape
Series: Marie's HP shorts 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1747861
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43
Collections: SOA Fest 2020





	in the dead of night

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the prompter for this lovely idea, to our great mod for putting this together, and to my darling Erja for looking over this story!

The sobs. That's what she'd always remember. The sobs and the soft hissing that came before that right before she found him that first time. That first night that changed everything, a million years ago, yesterday. 

Minerva looked up from where she'd been staring at his hand, almost lifeless by his side above the white sheet. It looked too pale. She averted her gaze and chose the window instead. First, the patterns on the glass and Asklepios' snake almost bobbing its head at her as it spinned around its rod, then further, onto the snowy grounds of Hogwarts. The night wasn't young, she could already see hints of colors coming back to eat away at the darkness of the sky. 

She sighed. Pushed her glasses further up her nose. Glanced back at Severus' face once again wishing she'd been faster. 

Meetings were getting closer together, longer, too, and every time, he came back to her a little more scarred than he'd been before. Whether those scars were his own doing for not protecting himself as someone who valued their own life would or because the final battle was getting closer, she couldn't tell. All she could do for now was wait though. Which. She'd never been great at that part.

_ "I thought I knew you,"  _ she'd told him back that first night, angry, at him, at herself, at the world - pointing fingers was hard when the lines got so blurred even her distrust of Severus Snape found itself shaken. 

His eyes. She'd always remember the look in his eyes too. Too tired, too desperate, too hurt to even attempt slipping his usual mask back on. 

_ "Help me," _ he'd asked, a whisper she wouldn't have heard if she wasn't already on her knees at his side trying to locate the origin of his wounds. There had been blood everywhere around him, a small pool of it on the wet tiles of the once-flooded hallway that led to his quarters. 

_ "I thought I knew myself,"  _ she'd thought, as she lied to Albus about the severity of Severus' injuries after he made her swear not to impede his ability to keep going. 

_ "I have to do this, I  _ need _ to do this."  _ He'd gritted his teeth as she bandaged his midsection.  _ "Whatever it takes."  _ He'd once again whispered like he wasn't sure he wanted her to hear him. 

Whatever it took now, whatever it'd take then, Minerva had resolved to not let this man die. Not now that she knew, not now that she could truly see him for who he was and what he was trying to achieve. She wouldn't let him down. 

She would make it so they could get past this life mission of theirs, not unscathed, it was much too late for that, but so they could have peace once it was accomplished. 

_ "Bite into this, hold my hand, Severus, this is going to hurt." _


End file.
